JOURNEY THE LOWER MEKONGCAMBODIA VIETNAM

PEARL OF THE ORIENT saigon - phnom penh

3 NIGHTS

T H E M I G H T Y M E KO N GC A M B O D I A V I E T N A M

The mighty Mekong – a mysterious body of water. Flowing through six countries in Asia. Giving love and life to millions. Received its fame by the legendary God King of ancient Cambodia, King Jayavarman VII, who linked hands with the waters of the Mekong to build the magnificent Angkor civilization.

Binh Thanh Island Cai Be

SaigonTan Chau

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Kampong Chhnang

Kampong TralachKoh Oknha Tey

Angkor Ban

Tonle Lake

Tonle River

Mekong R

iver

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

Kampong Cham

Wat Hanchey

My Tho

Tran

sfer

1

We greet our guests in the morning at our welcome lounge in Saigon. Kick back with a second coffee as our staff collects your details for boarding. We bid farewell to the hustle and

bustle of Saigon and travel 70 kilometres south over

land towards My Tho to embark on our vessel. After

checking into your luxurious floating “home” for the

next several days, your first inclination may be to

step on your balcony to watch the ship set sail on its

fascinating Mekong River voyage. A lunch buffet is

served in the restaurant while the vessel steadily glides

upstream. Now it is time to get acquainted with one of

the largest streams in Asia, which runs an estimated

length of 4,909 km (3,050 mi) and discharges 475 cu

km (114 cu mi) of water annually. Millions of people

– from China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia,

and Vietnam – pay tribute to this mighty river which

provides sustenance and protection over its inhabitants.

Let your soul float and your eyes wander while the

boat makes its way upstream. It is often stated that

“nautical air” makes you hungry, so you are cordially

invited to our afternoon tea in the open-air bar as

twilight bathes the Mekong Delta in a golden haze.

Get to know your fellow travellers while enjoying

some tasty treats. The rest of this cruising day is fully

yours to relax on your private balcony or be pampered

by our therapists at the Apsara Spa. While you savour

your delightful dinner, the ship reaches Cai Be. This

historic town was established in the 19th century by

Vietnam’s last ruling family, the Nguyen dynasty, on

the Mekong River where three provinces meet: Tien

Giang, Vinh Long, and Ben Tre. Cai Be would later

become the surrounding region’s predominant water-

based trading hub, as we will see in tomorrow’s visit to

the floating market.

We anchor mid-stream near Cai Be and moor there overnight. If you are in the mood for some

evening entertainment, there is a cinema in the lounge showcasing classic movies and interesting

documentaries on a nightly basis.

Lunch, Dinner

Today, the Mekong basin is one of the world’s richest areas of biodiversity in the world. It is home to more than 20,000 plant species, 400 mammals, 1,200 birds, 800 reptiles and amphibians and an estimated 850 kinds of fish.

DAy ONE

Saigon - My Tho - Cai Be

TODAY’S DINING

DAILY INSIGHT

TODAY’S ROUTE

3 nights

pEArl Of ThE OrIENT

A shorter voyage linking two countries and Saigon and Phnom Penh, the two “pearl” cities of Southeast Asia, while offering a

detailed exploration of the Mekong Delta.

saigon - phnom penh [upstream]

Binh Thanh Island Cai Be

SaigonTan Chau

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Kampong Chhnang

Kampong TralachKoh Oknha Tey

Angkor Ban

Tonle Lake

Tonle River

Mekong R

iver

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

Kampong Cham

Wat Hanchey

My Tho

2

Wake up early to witness the spectacular scenery at the break of dawn. To make the experience complete, join our daily morning Tai Chi class. Afterwards, a rich breakfast

buffet awaits, or if you prefer, we can serve breakfast

directly to your room.

We arrive at Cai Be, a charming market town which

is famous for its Catholic French church and the

manufacturing of traditional crafts and food products.

The once enormous floating market of Cai Be gets

smaller year by year since trading on the water

is continually shifting towards modern markets.

However, you can still see boat-to-boat trading of

local goods, such as fruits and agricultural products

and imagine what this must have looked like on a

larger scale. We learn from our guide about the long-

lasting trading culture and how each boat has a special marker to let buyers know what goods they

are selling. By local boat, we sail along the green canal network and watch the farmers working in the

fields. A visit ashore of a workshop shows us the manufacturing of rice paste, rice paper, rice cookies

and rice wine. Cai Be’s surrounding areas are covered by palm trees, which is why the region is also

famous for the production of coconut candy. While the vessel continues sailing upstream, you can

enjoy time to yourself or head to the bar to and enjoy a true Vietnamese coffee as you watch the life

on the riverbanks float by.

In the afternoon, the vessel reaches the area of Sa

Dec and arrives at one of the larger islands in the vast

stream of the Mekong, Binh Thanh Island. Several

communities have settled here and make their living

by growing water hyacinths. We exclusively visit one

of these untouched areas. By wandering through the

village, we get a deep understanding of native life. One

of the local artisans, for example, demonstrates the

entire process of traditional mat making. You can try

weaving yourself. We also meet a local elderly couple

who share their story of living on this island. They are

always happy to chit-chat with our guests.

Back on board, you may take a dip in the pool on the

sun deck. In the evening, our expert guide offers a

presentation on life on the Mekong Delta as the ship

continues sailing to Tan Chau, a pleasant, slow-paced

border town near the Cambodian border with a sizeable Chinese, Kinh and Khmer community. We

moor near the city with views on the riverbanks.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The purple water hyacinth flowers around Binh Thanh Island are edible, while the fibres from the stem are assembled to create a wide variety of products such as fish traps, bags, hats, shoes, vases, and paper.

DAy TwO

Cai Be - Sa Dec - Tan Chau

TODAY’S DINING

DAILY INSIGHT

TODAY’S ROUTE

3 nights

pEArl Of ThE OrIENT

A shorter voyage linking two countries and Saigon and Phnom Penh, the two “pearl” cities of Southeast Asia, while offering a

detailed exploration of the Mekong Delta.

saigon - phnom penh [upstream]

Binh Thanh Island Cai Be

SaigonTan Chau

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Kampong Chhnang

Kampong TralachKoh Oknha Tey

Angkor Ban

Tonle Lake

Tonle River

Mekong R

iver

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

Kampong Cham

Wat Hanchey

My Tho

3

Welcome to the fish sanctuary of Vietnam. Once on shore, we see Tan Chau’s vibrant town-life as we hop on “xelois”, which are local vehicles still used as a taxi in this area. Your

personal xeloi driver slowly navigates through the

streets to observe all the workshops, houses and shops

while feeling the laid-back vibe of this place. We stop

at the colourful, local market near one of the town’s

temples. This is a great opportunity to interact with

the vendors of this friendly town and try your hand at

bargaining with them.

To see what Tan Chau is famous for, we board local

boats and head to a floating fish farm. You are about

to get an exclusive look into the world’s largest inland

aquaculture industry. Each of the floating structures

has netting hanging down into the water to enclose

the fish, which are raised and fed on a daily basis. The region’s specialties are tilapia and the Basa

catfish, or Pangasius, which is unique to the Mekong River basin and rapidly gaining popularity

on the international seafood market. Back on board our “home”, we sail towards the Vietnamese-

Cambodian border. Get ready for a fascinating and leisurely cruise through the deep Cambodian

countryside towards Phnom Penh.

The whole afternoon is at your own disposal. From

here, even the last passenger turns on their cruise

mode and hopefully experiences the relaxing influence

this mighty river emanates. The afternoon is perfect

for massages, relaxation on a terrace deck sunbed or

private balcony kick-backs. Conjure up a spell to merge

with the river and float into a state of mild bliss.You

also may like to visit the bridge as the captain always

has a little story to share about “his” river. Or, if you are

curious to learn more about Khmer gastronomy, join a

culinary workshop to sharpen your knowledge about

local cuisine.

After some additional cruising time back aboard, the

boat arrives and docks at the pier of Phnom Penh. Feel

free to go out and explore by yourself after dinner.

Stroll along the river promenade and watch the locals

chit-chatting, selling odds and ends or have a drink in one of the numerous bars.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

A typical fish farm in Tan Chau can grow around 45 tonnes of fish at once and is harvested every 8-10 months. The cost to feed one batch of fish over this period can exceed $30,000 USD.

DAy ThrEE

Tan Chau - Border Crossing - Phnom Penh

TODAY’S DINING

DAILY INSIGHT

TODAY’S ROUTE

3 nights

pEArl Of ThE OrIENT

A shorter voyage linking two countries and Saigon and Phnom Penh, the two “pearl” cities of Southeast Asia, while offering a

detailed exploration of the Mekong Delta.

saigon - phnom penh [upstream]

Binh Thanh Island Cai Be

SaigonTan Chau

Siem Reap

Phnom Penh

Kampong Chhnang

Kampong TralachKoh Oknha Tey

Angkor Ban

Tonle Lake

Tonle River

Mekong R

iver

CAMBODIA

VIETNAM

Kampong Cham

Wat Hanchey

My Tho

4

Welcome to Phnom Penh - the city once named Paris of the East. Despite its rapid development, it has retained a lot of its rustic charm and elegance. It is an amazing

town with centuries of incredible history and culture

which can still be felt at many street corners. Enjoy

your last breakfast aboard your floating home before

disembarking the ship. We hope that you liked this

fascinating river cruise along the Might Mekong, as

much as our crew does every time. Please take along

with you enchanting memoirs and friendship and

share the stories of this amazing river. Heritage Line

and our crew wishes you a wonderful onward journey

and we looking forward to see you back on board with

us.

Breakfast

Learning the Cambodian Apsara dance is quite difficult to master. Girls must begin training at a very young age to gain the flexibility needed to gracefully move their hands and feet, appearing to be floating on the clouds. Central to this dance are the hand gestures, with each of the over 1,500 finger movements narrating a story.

DAy fOur

Phnom Penh

TODAY’S DINING

DAILY INSIGHT

TODAY’S ROUTE

3 nights

pEArl Of ThE OrIENT

A shorter voyage linking two countries and Saigon and Phnom Penh, the two “pearl” cities of Southeast Asia, while offering a

detailed exploration of the Mekong Delta.

saigon - phnom penh [upstream]

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